Story by
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Why No. 21 Boise State will beat Washington State | The pick
- Story byThe Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- Why No. 21 Boise State will beat Washington State | The pick
Oct. 23—PULLMAN — All season, Washington State's defense has been a little tricky to parse.
On one hand, the Cougars have excelled in tough spots, given short field after short field, jumping into action in pinch after pinch thanks to offensive turnovers. Their pass rush has been above average. So has their tackling.
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But when you're playing No. 21 Boise State, above average won't fly, which is why we're picking WSU to fall to the Broncos Saturday afternoon in Pullman.
The Cougars are tasked with doing something that only Oregon has done this season, which is slow down BSU tailbacks Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, one of the country's best running back tandems. Riley ranks second in the country with 139 rushing yards per game, and Gaines has cleared the century mark in each of his last two games.
Complicating matters for WSU is Boise State's average time of possession: 36 minutes. That leads the entire country. That will put some serious strain on the Cougars' defense, especially if their offense commits a turnover, which new quarterback Owen Eshelman did well to avoid in meaningful settings last weekend in his first start.
Overall, it's a lot to ask out of this WSU team, and there's no shame in losing to this Boise State team. But the Cougars will have to look elsewhere for their first FBS win of the season.
Final score: No. 21 Boise State 30, WSU 20
